Cursive Camp

https://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/ugresearch/2017/english_comm/4/thumbnail.jpgCursive handwriting is no longer a required course in school curriculums. Although many people do not see it as a necessary skill, cursive is more than just a form of writing. For a child’s quickly developing mind, cursive handwriting aids in expanding reading and writing comprehension while also improving cognitive thinking, focus, motor skills and creativity. Recognizing the importance of these language and communication skills, I set out to design an interactive learning app through my Interaction Design class with the help of my professor, Gretchen Rinnert. Cursive Camp is a two-part app, divided into “practice” and “play” sections. The “practice” section allows children to learn how to form each letter and word at their own pace. It varies in difficulty depending on the user’s preferences and settings. The “play” section incorporates a curriculum to create a more competitive and engaging atmosphere. The games are designed to improve children’s memory, recall and letter recognition through time-restricted matching and fill in the blank exercises. Throughout both sections, users receive positive reinforcement and helpful feedback from their camp character. While developing and designing Cursive Camp, I integrated kinesthetic learning techniques to keep the user engaged and focused. I put emphasis on interaction instead of instruction, and created illustrative animated features to immerse the user in a fun-filled learning experience. By using Cursive Camp, young students will keep cursive writing alive and improve their reading and writing comprehension.